This classic homemade stuffing recipe is baked in a casserole dish using a loaf of bread, onion and celery. This stuffing can be served at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any time you’re craving a comforting side dish.
Classic Stuffing Overview
This is a classic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe where you can use store-bought bread cubes or easily make your own. If you don’t like cooking stuffing in a roasted turkey, then this recipe is the answer. It’s baked in a casserole dish for one hour and 20 minutes. You can bake this in advance and reheat it just before serving.
To make this recipe, first the bread cubes are created by chopping bread and baking it at a low temperature until it dries out. If you don’t want to make your own bread cubes, you can use store-bought versions. These are tossed with sauteed onions and celery, fresh herbs (or dried versions if you prefer), egg and broth.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 pound day-old white bread – diced into 1/2-inch cubes and dried (approx 12 cups). Or use store-bought bread crumbs.
- ½ cup unsalted butter – divided
- 2 cups diced yellow onion
- 1 ½ cups diced celery – about 5-6 stalks
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary – or 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 Tbsp fresh sage leaves (finely minced) – or 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme – or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 ½ tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
How To Make Homemade Stuffing
Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 250°F. Chop the bread into small cubes. Add 12 cups (1lb) of bread to two baking sheets in a single layer. Bake the bread crumbs for 45 minutes, and toss halfway through. Set aside.
STEP 3: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
STEP 4: Add ½ cup butter to a large pot. Add 2 cups diced onions and 1 ½ cups diced celery to the pot and cook until softened. Add onions and celery to the large bowl with bread crumbs.
STEP 5: In a separate medium bowl, add 2 ½ cups chicken broth, 2 large eggs, 3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper to a bowl. Mix together, then pour over top of the bread crumbs and toss everything together.
STEP 6: Pour into the greased casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 40-45 mins.
Recipe Tips
- You can use any style of bread for this recipe. A white loaf will give fluffier results, while a whole grain bread with seeds will provide a heartier texture.
- For a budget-friendly idea, save leftover bread slices in the freezer and use them in this recipe.
- Chop the bread and vegetables into small bite-size pieces. The smaller the cubes, the better the stuffing will stick together.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- To Freeze – Any Leftover stuffing can be stored in a large freezer bag for up to 6 months.
- To Reheat – Reheat the stuffing in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or bake in the oven at 350°F until heated through, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve this stuffing side dish with roasted turkey, homemade cranberry sauce, and sauteed green beans.
Tools For This Recipe
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- 9×13 Casserole Dish – The perfect white casserole dish.
- Knife set – This knife set is perfect for a recipe like this, and it comes with a built-in foolproof sharpener.
- Measuring Spoons – Quality measuring spoons are an underrated kitchen tool. These spoons are magnetic, stainless steel, and very strong, they sit flat on the table without spilling.
- Mixing Bowls – They’re easy to grip and pour, the silicone ring on the bottom keeps them from slipping, and they’re quite durable.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound day-old white French bread - diced into 1/2-inch cubes and dried (approx 12 cups)
- ½ cup unsalted butter - divided
- 2 cups diced yellow onion
- 1 ½ cups diced celery - about 5-6 stalks
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary - or 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 Tbsp fresh sage leaves (finely minced) - or 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme - or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 ½ tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper pepper
Instructions
To Make Bread Crumbs:
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Chop the bread into small cubes. Add 12 cups (1lb) of bread to two baking sheets in a single layer. Bake the bread crumbs for 45 minutes, and toss halfway through. Set aside.
To Make Stuffing:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
- Add ½ cup butter to a large pot. Add 2 cups diced onions and 1 ½ cups diced celery to the pot and cook until softened. Add onions and celery to the large bowl with bread crumbs.
- In a separate medium bowl, add 2 ½ cups chicken broth, 2 large eggs, 3 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper to a bowl. Mix together, then pour over top of the bread crumbs and toss everything together.
- Pour into the greased casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 40-45 mins.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.